Man arrested in ‘one of most heinous, notorious cold cases’ more than 30 years after mother’s murder

James Lawhead was arrested after forensic DNA analysis lead in decades-old killing of Cindy Wanner Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox A 64-year-old man was arrested last week in connection to a decades-old murder investigation that had long haunted the affluent suburb of Sacramento where it occurred. On 25 November 1991, Cindy Wanner, 35, vanished from her sister’s home in Granite Bay, California. Her husband arrived at the residence with their four-year-old daughter and found their 11-month-old baby alone, wailing and strapped to a high chair. Three weeks later, Wanner’s body was discovered 40 miles away in a secluded wooded area. She had died from strangulation. “Arguably, this is one of the most heinous, notorious cold cases we have here,” said Wayne Woo, the Placer county sheriff, in a Monday news conference, as he stood beside an enlarged photograph of Wanner. Woo identified the murder suspect as James Lawhead. “We hope this arrest will help bring some justice and closure to Cindy Wanner’s family,” he said. Investigators had linked Lawhead to the crime scene via forensic DNA analysis. Lawhead had been convicted of sex cr

Apr 28, 2026 → Apr 28, 2026